Shorter Durban Ultra events encourage participation
For the less serious or the newcomer to triathlons, the 2018 MiWay Durban Ultra Triathlon on Sunday, 4 March will offer up the opportunity to do the Sprint Event or to take on the day as a team.
WHILE the 2018 MiWay Durban Ultra Triathlon is geared at the serious triathlete, the inclusion of the sprint distance and team event are gaining attention as a way to attract the less committed athletes to take part in the Durban beachfront event on Sunday, 4 March.
The sprint distance includes a 600m swim, a 20km cycle and a 5km run which is geared towards people who are interested in triathlons but might be apprehensive to tackle the full event, as well as newcomers to the sport.
“A nice detail with our events is that there are four races in the series, so you can start at the beginning of the year with a short race and train through the year and eventually build up to the long ultra race. The sprint event is vitally important to the longevity of triathlons in South Africa as it gives newbies the opportunity to try the sport and see what it is all about,”said event organiser Damian Bradley.
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The Durban Ultra also offers the opportunity for people to take on the event as a relay team. The teams can either be two or three members with each member doing one or two of the disciplines.
The team event works like a relay. The team gets given a timing chip which will act like a baton and will get passed onto each team member in the transition area.
Participating in a favourite discipline in a team but being around triathletes and the vibe that the event offers is seen as an important component in converting people to triathletes.
The team race is for corporates, families and friends and provides them with the opportunity to challenge one another.
“Teams are just as important as any of the other events and are very inclusive as, from the Ultra Triathlon perspective, 21km half-marathons are huge in South Africa, 100km road cycling races are also popular and if you are a Midmar Mile swimmer then the 1.9km swim is great. The team relay event has a great team building aspect to it as training for a triathlon is almost as beneficial and rewarding as the race itself,” said Bradley.
The sprint event also has a relay option which could cater to the less serious athletes as well as the younger athletes.
Entries are limited to 1600 Ultra and 800 Sprint athletes and entries are filling up quickly. Entries close on 1 February.
Visit: https://ultratri.co.za/durban-ultra/
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